San Francisco Airport to Offer Carbon Offsets

During the hectic holiday season and its multitude of inconveniences, like delayed flights, icy roads and traffic jams, it’s easy for travelers to forget about the impact their travel has on the environment. But some early-adopter airlines have started to offer carbon offsets for travelers concerned about their flight’s carbon emissions, and according to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco’s airport will soon become one of the first airports in the U.S. to offer carbon offsets to travelers via airport kiosks.

Starting this spring, a company called 3Degrees will join forces with the city and SFO to offer fliers the ability to purchase carbon offsets at airports stations that resemble self check-in counters. 3Degrees, whose projects include coal mine methane gas capture, forestry, agricultural methane gas capture and renewable energy in developing countries, will run the service and provide the software and offset programs, while the city will provide the kiosks. As for SFO, the Chronicle’s report says the airport is investing $163,000 into the project.

But the project could prove controversial. The worth of carbon offset programs is a topic of heavy debate, as critics question whether such projects are viable, or would have happened with or without the funded program.